Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Mayura Review: Heat of Kerala in Culver City

Friday night, we went to Mayura Indian Restaurant on Venice Boulevard in Culver City. I've been meaning to check out this restaurant for awhile; I haven't had much success in finding a good Indian restaurant in Los Angeles, certainly nothing that compares with the variety in New York or even Philadelphia. Plus, I really like Indian food from Kerala, in the south of India; one of my all-time favorite Indian restaurants is Rasa Samudra in London. A recent Groupon for Mayura was the impetus I needed to finally spur a visit to Mayura. The decor of the place is a little garish, but that's the case for pretty much all, with the exception of the super high end, of the Indian restaurants that I've ever visited. The food is excellent though, with a delightful heat that builds with every single bite. You don't notice it at first, until it becomes quite overpowering, though in a good way. Nothing that some naan and cold beer won't fix eventually. I thought the quality of the food was quite good; not overly greasy / oily, but really tasty with lots of unique and unfamiliar spices and flavors. The place was pretty empty when we got there around 7pm, but almost fully packed by the time we left. Prices are good too; entrees average about $10, and the only side / app we needed was some naan to offset some of the heat. Beers were huge and cheap too. I think Mayura will become a staple in our rotation.

Chicken Tikka Masala. I know this is a Northern Indian dish, but Mayura's version was excellent.

Spinach Masala Dosa: this thing was huge and delicious. I really like the crepe / pancake like texture, and the potato, spinach filling was tasty with a subtle heat

One of Mayura's signature dishes: Kerala appam with fish curry. I loved the white spongy pancakes with the rich fish curry that got quite spicy with every bite. Probably the spiciest dish we had (although you don't feel it at first)

Dum Biryani, a sort of Indian fried rice. Also a bit spicy. Good, but nothing special

Probably the best version of garlic naan I've ever heard. Fluffy yet crisp with a ton of garlic and herb flavor

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About EAT

Recent New Yorker, born and raised Santa Monican, currently hanging out in Santa Monica and lives for eating, cooking, yoga-ing, and shopping her way around Los Angeles. Loves food, drinks, fashion, feeling healthy, and of course two silly dogs and K.

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